Chelsea could announce first big signing by midweek, pending medical, deal almost agreed

 

Tiémoué Bakayoko is ‘determined’ to join Chelsea, report L’Equipe, which is convenient because the club had got fed up with his cold shoulder. Earlier this month the same French newspaper reported that Chelsea were ‘annoyed’ with the midfielder’s agents slowing the transfer down.

Playing hard to get may be a tactic Bakayoko’s people thought would make Chelsea even more eager, and perhaps willing to pay bigger wages, but they underestimated the Premier League champions and their approach to transfers.

The cold shoulder encouraged Chelsea to edge towards Lyon’s Corentin Tolisso, who some believe is the better player, and that, in turn, seems to have given camp Bakayoko a slap around the face.

L’Equipe say Chelsea and Monaco aren’t very far apart on an agreement for a €40m Bakayoko transfer. The hesitation is now gone, and Bakayoko is pushing the deal personally.

Chelsea seemed very confident on Friday, explain L’Equipe, and a deal could be announced by the middle of next week, as long Bakayoko passes a medical.